Mathematics and Children's LiteratureThis collection of five lessons on the NCTM Illuminations website uses children's books to teach math topics ranging from algebraic thinking in the primary grades to data analysis, geometry, and measurement.

Gator Pie is a great book to teach fractions - [in a newly-released 2005 interactive edition available only at www.bigstory.us ].

The Doorbell Rang is a great book to introduce
division. So, as you can see, the possibilities are almost
endless! Talk to your local librarian to see if she can give
you more ideas about connecting math and literature.

> I will soon be a student teacher. In my method class for
> math I was instructed to create a book lesson intergrating
> math. I want to use Harriet's Halloween Candy by Nancy
> Carlson, since it will be Halloween when I present this to
> my class... I thought I would begin my lesson by reading the book,
> then demonstrate what they would be doing. I am going to
> tell everyone that they will all get a bag of candy, then
> when you get the candy, I want you to sort it out into
> different groups such as tootsie rolls, etc., then color in
> graph of the amount of candy you have. ( I am showing them
> as I am talking) How does that sound?
> Wendy, 10/25/00

Your thoughts are well thought out...
Other things might be graph what they have sorted or create
Venn diagrams of the candy -- those with wrappers, such as
Toostie Rolls and those without wrappers, such as apples.
Another great Math and Literature book is Cook-a-Doodle Doo!
by Janet Stevens and her sister, Susan Stevens Crummel.
I read this one to a graduate math class this summer that I
taught. The hall outside my classroom was being painted by a
professional painter. He got so wrapped up in my reading the
book, that he told the first person out the classroom door
that he had almost fallen off the scaffolding, because he was
laughing so HARD!

KathyB/1st/IA, 10/26/00 on teachers.net math board

- - - - -

Best of luck when you present your lesson. I'd like to suggest
some further ideas in a different format which you may or may
not find helpful.

Integrating math with Harriet means not only sorting and graphing,
which is good, but also how can you tie the feelings of
selfishness and greediness into your lesson, which I believe is
the lesson Nancy Carlson wants the reader to explore.
Here's an idea:

Choose the attributes you want the students to work with (i.e.
size, color, shape, etc.) and fill the bags with any and
everything (not just candy) that can be sorted like this. (As
candy is expensive, not very reusable, would probably take some
of your young students off task just thinking about eating it,
you might use different macaronis, shell beans, attribute or
fraction blocks, some hard/soft candies with,w/out wrappers,
paper clips, marbles, etc. -- the more creative the better!) Be
careful that what you put in bags can easily be sorted into the
attributes you work with in your lesson: you may only want to
focus on size and color, for example, and fill as many bags as
you have students. Put these bags into larger bags so that
you end up with one huge bag!

Hand this bag to one person - what do others think? I'm sure
you'll hear, "That's not fair;" talk about why and what would be
fair. Also, tell that one person that s/he will have to do all
of the work. Discuss briefly and then go on to give everyone
their own bags.

Go on to sort, graph, diagram (using rope circles on the floor
works good and working in groups helps).

Then read the book, drawing on students' experiences and how
they felt when doing the math lesson and tie it with Harriet
and her brother's feelings, summing up similarities/differences.

Extensions:Math - In another math lesson, they can go on to make different graphs
with different/more attributes.Science - they can weigh and measure what's on their charts.Writing - they might draw/write story (sad to happy, selfish to
caring/working together).Reading - choose other books with similar message.

I don't know what timeframe you have, but this is something
that can go the whole morning/day, tying it all together
through many subject areas. I hope this gives you a few more ideas.

Both talk about farm animals. The second one is about farm
animal babies and counting numbers. Then you could create
your own versions by getting into other animals and their
babies. These books might help.